On average, most women experience menopause at age 51. If you have missed your period for more than 12 consecutive months and other causes can be eliminated, you may have entered menopause.

Signs of menopause can begin six or more years before your final menstrual period. When these signs begin, you enter into a phase referred to as perimenopause. Perimenopausal changes are brought on by changing levels in the hormones estrogen and progesterone. During this transition time, estrogen levels gradually decline, but they do so in an erratic manner – often fluctuating between high levels found during reproductive years and low levels associated with post-menopause.

You may notice these changes in the time leading up to menopause:

• Irregular periods
• Hot flashes
• Trouble sleeping
• Vaginal and urinary problems:
  • Drier and thinner vaginal tissue (making sex uncomfortable)
  • Frequent infections
  • Incontinence
• Mood swings
• Changing feelings about sex:
  • Less interested in sex
  • More comfortable with your sexuality

At Women’s Care Group, we know this time during your life is not one to be simply “managed.” While management of the symptoms and irregular mood swings and body changes are important, it’s also a time for you to be confident in your options and the care you receive. In order to minimize frustration, ensure a healthy transition and offer a supportive hand during an often-intimidating time, the physicians of Women’s Care Group take the time to talk with youabout your symptoms, your worries or concerns, and how you can make this life-changing event a positive one. Call for a consultation today.

Dexa Bone Density Scanning

Women over age 65 or any woman with osteoporosis risk factors should have a bone density test. The dexa scan is the most commonly used and most accurate scanning device for bone density. The “dual energy x-ray absorptiometry”
scan precisely documents small changes in your bone mass and allows us to examine the spine, hip or your entire body in only one, two or four minutes respectively.  It’s less expensive than other tests, exposes the patient to less radiation and is more sensitive and accurate at measuring subtle changes over time or in response to therapy.